Baptism in the Holy Spirit

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My awesome parish rector speaks a lot on a phenomenon known as Baptism in the Holy Spirit. He said it can be life changing. Does anyone here have any experience with this?
 
blackice71 said:
My awesome parish rector speaks a lot on a phenomenon known as Baptism in the Holy Spirit. He said it can be life changing. Does anyone here have any experience with this?
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Oh, yes I do! Simply put, it ignited my sleeping faith. It erased my fear of speaking of my faith. It drew me into a much more profound relationship with God. It made prayer before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament amazingly spiritual and powerful. I experienced miracles in prayer. Ask your Rector about the “word of knowledge”.

It can be absolutely amazing, if you only make yourself available to, and vulnerable to the Holy Spirit.
 
Ditto that po18guy.

Of course we are “Baptised in the Spirit” at our baptisms, but this was, for me a way of focusing what was already there.

Beyond awesome, but please don’t force it or feel forced into it. Let God lead you there if that is where you need to be.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with living your entire faith life without this particular kick in the pants.

I thank God that he gave it to me because I, for one, did need it.
 
InspiritCarol said:
Ditto that po18guy.

Of course we are “Baptised in the Spirit” at our baptisms, but this was, for me a way of focusing what was already there.

Beyond awesome, but please don’t force it or feel forced into it. Let God lead you there if that is where you need to be.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with living your entire faith life without this particular kick in the pants.

I thank God that he gave it to me because I, for one, did need it.
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It is all about docility to the Spirit. I went reluctantly, but when the time came, I simply abandoned myself and asked for whatever gift the Spirit wished to release. My faith life has never been the same. Oh, if only more Catholics would submit to it!

Once I no longer cared whether or not I looked like a fool for the Lord, amazing things began to happen.
 
blackice71 said:
My awesome parish rector speaks a lot on a phenomenon known as Baptism in the Holy Spirit. He said it can be life changing. Does anyone here have any experience with this?
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There is only ONE baptism. There is no Baptism in the Holy Spirit outside your baptism.

When you are baptised it is in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

CCC 1309 Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts, and his biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community. The latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands.
 
thistle said:
There is only ONE baptism. There is no Baptism in the Holy Spirit outside your baptism.

When you are baptised it is in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

CCC 1309 Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts, and his biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community. The latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands.
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Let there be no confusion here! This is not a sacrament. It is a charismatic prayer experience, an epiclesis if you will, so that the gifts which we recieved in our sacramental Baptism may be released. It is docility to the Holy Spirit.
 
po18guy said:
Let there be no confusion here! This is not a sacrament. It is a charismatic prayer experience, an epiclesis if you will, so that the gifts which we recieved in our sacramental Baptism may be released. It is docility to the Holy Spirit.
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People should not be calling it Baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is NOT a baptism.
 
Thistle Lighten up!

People can call it what they want. You are missing the point. If it moves people to be better catholics it is a good thing no matter what it is called.Lets not get caught in to much terminology that we miss what people are feeling.

Giving ones self over to God is wonderful. Call it what you want, it is wonderful.
 
juliamca said:
Thistle Lighten up!

People can call it what they want. You are missing the point. If it moves people to be better catholics it is a good thing no matter what it is called.Lets not get caught in to much terminology that we miss what people are feeling.

Giving ones self over to God is wonderful. Call it what you want, it is wonderful.
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Thistle does not need to lighten up. I was thinking likewise. “We believe in ONE Baptism for the forgiveness of sins…”

If it is not Baptism, it should not be called Baptism. It makes it sound like a heresy.

I have no experience with Catholic teaching of Baptism of the Holy Spirit and cannot comment. I have heard Pentecostals and other Protestant heretics refer to it.

I am interested in anything that will help me grow in my faith. Please explain further and provide Catechism, Biblical, Canon law, or other Roman Catholic references. Thanks.
 
I agree and concur wholeheartedly with MtnDweller and thistle. To call any charismatic experience a ‘baptism in the Holy Ghost’ is perfidious. The Blessed Lord certainly said that a man cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless he in baptised by “water and the spirit”. It seems unlikely, however, that He was referring to Pentecostal-like charismatic experience in the latter.

I always identify “and the spirit” to be related to “blessed are the poor in spirit”, and other such lines. It is a deeply quiet humility about God, full of love and joy (which I have certainly not achieved yet, but praise God when I do)! Outward signs of joy and wailing in front of the Tabernacle are showy and remind me of the Pharisee vs. the Publican.
 
Yes, it does not have to be called Baptism in the Holy Spirit because it is not a Sacrament. It has been called other things and sometimes in the Catholic scene it is also called Empowering of the Holy Spirit and sometimes, Infilling of the Holy Spirit. However, in each case the title of whatever the phenomenon is, it can be always misleading because we already have the Holy Spirit by virtue of our Baptism. So what’s in the name, it is always misleading and open for argument. However, for those who experience the newness that comes about from this surrendering to the Holy Spirit, it is anything but misleading. Their lives were changed and they were never the same again, for once they fell in love with the Lord and left their old selves behind they could not forget what changed them.

For want of better word, Baptism in the Holy Spirit seems to describe this phenomena but then again it can be anything. What is unmistakably certain is that there is some external factor that almost seems supernatural that affect these changes. The word of Jesus tells us that If we then, though we are evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Lk 11:13). What it does to ordinary Catholics, most of them nominal and even lapsed, is that they experienced a new found love for God which they had never experienced before that leads them to be better Catholics. Despise it whatever you may, but for them, they can only thank God for it. And that is not bad at all.
 
thistle said:
People should not be calling it Baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is NOT a baptism.
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The term is a euphemism. Priests and Bishops refer to it as a “baptism”, since there is no other term which properly describes it. If you know of one, the charismatic movement can certainly use it. The same as with (T)radition and (t)radition, there is (B)aptism and (b)aptism. My guess is that you have not experienced this.

Point: No one has ever claimed that it is a Sacrament.
 
This sounds wonderful. I wonder why they never told us about this during Catechism class?? Why doesn’t our pastor tell us about this? Why has this been a secret??!!!

How can I participate? If I ask the priest after mass, can he do it then? Do I have to make an appointment? Do I need a sponsor or anything like that?
 
MtnDwellar said:
This sounds wonderful. I wonder why they never told us about this during Catechism class?? Why doesn’t our pastor tell us about this? Why has this been a secret??!!!

How can I participate? If I ask the priest after mass, can he do it then? Do I have to make an appointment? Do I need a sponsor or anything like that?
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We are talking about the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit. It has not been a secret, but not every priest is into it, either. To have the power of the Holy Spirit manifested in us is totally Scriptural. Read Acts.

Usually the so called “baptism in the Spirit” happens in a charismatic prayer session or gathering. It is an “impartation” - some spirited filled person lays hands on others and helps people to receive the gift. This person does not have to be a priest. It is legitimate and powerful. But it never meant to be a one time incident of getting high. The important thing is to continue to grow in our faith and holiness as well as using our gift to serve.

Someone told me baptism in the Holy Spirit is the speedy form of infused contemplation. I don’t know if this saying is correct. I know when one is in the divine milieu, when one is close to spirit filled person or people, it is much easier to receive the anointing due to the strong presence of God. Maybe that’s why someone referred it to a speedy form of infused contemplation. One thing for sure is that the gifts of the Spirit and infused contemplation are both initiated by God. They are not in our control.

Having received prayer tongue personally during the past, and also being a contemplative, all I really care is to keep on making progress in virtues and love my Lord more and more. I believe that’s what we all should really seek after.
 
thistle said:
There is only ONE baptism. There is no Baptism in the Holy Spirit outside your baptism.

When you are baptised it is in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

CCC 1309 Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts, and his biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community. The latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands.
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The Sacrament of being baptized with the Holy Spirit is CONFIRMATION. There is no EIGHTH Sacrament.

It is finished.
 
po18guy said:
The term is a euphemism. Priests and Bishops refer to it as a “baptism”, since there is no other term which properly describes it. If you know of one, the charismatic movement can certainly use it. The same as with (T)radition and (t)radition, there is (B)aptism and (b)aptism. My guess is that you have not experienced this.

Point: No one has ever claimed that it is a Sacrament.
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How about the term CONVERSION?

Read the Liturgy for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Anything additional to that sacrament is a heretical add-on to our faith. We receive the power of the Holy Spirit from the laying on of hands at our Confirmation, period. Conversion and obedience to the Holy Spirit might take a little longer for some. If you deny that the Holy Spirit comes with power at your Confirmation, and didn’t come until you received an “additional baptism of the Holy Spirit,” that is heresy.
 
po18guy said:
. My guess is that you have not experienced this.

Point: No one has ever claimed that it is a Sacrament.
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And I have experienced the filling and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It was in April 1979, when I was 13 years old. The day of my Confirmation. That was the day I became a Soldier for Christ, according to my Confirmation prep. I have been charismatic and evangelistic in my faith ever since. While I sojourned away from the truth of the Catholic faith as an evangelical protestant for 20 yrs, I was often able to “receive the Holy Spirit” where well-meaning pentecostals wanted to see me jump and bark in tongues. For 20 yrs I knew that I received that power at my Confirmation, and didn’t need to have an experience to revv it back up.

I was sealed with the Holy Spirit on that day. Nothing can take away from it, and nothing can or needs to replace the REAL POWER of the grace of the Sacrament.
 
I tend to be traditional and not to impressed with the charismatic movement. That being said, I had an intervention on a suicide attempt that was the start of my conversion. Priests’ have called it an “illumination’ , a “purging, then consolation”. It was a very real and powerful intervention by our loving Lord in my life. I was married and confirmed a few weeks later. Saying it was a 'baptism” seems weird, but I know what you are saying. What are we to call it though? I would rather not see a wonderful gift as this be a cause of division and shouldn’t be. Though a consolation as this may have different names, we are on the same page, I hope.
 
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